Northern Line runaway train was ‘just 49 seconds’ from collision on the underground

Published: 19 August, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

SLASHED budgets will lead to fatalities on the Underground “sooner rather than later,” union officials have warned after a runaway train without a driver hurtled through six Camden Tube stations.

Insider video footage of a control room showing the path of the train was leaked to BBC London and shown for the first time last night (Wednesday).

The broadcaster said it had been told by well-placed sources that a ­collision was avoided near Kentish Town by just 49 seconds.

Only an incline in the track is thought to have brought it to a standstill.

Steve Hedley, regional organiser of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, spoke out after the incident involving a defective engineering train on the Northern line on Friday morning.

The train was being towed by an out-of-service passenger train when it broke loose and travelled four miles south from Archway. 

Controllers frantically diverted trains from its path as passengers on the service ahead were herded into the front carriages. Their driver gathered speed and bypassed seven stops to avoid the train racing behind.

A London Underground (LU) investigation is underway but it is expected to be several weeks before detailed findings are published.

Mr Hedley said unconfirmed reports suggested the incident occurred after staff working in a “climate of fear” ignored usual safety practice when attempting to tow the train.

“A defective train would normally be moved by another engineering train or it would be repaired on-site, but it seems they decided to hitch it to a passenger train.” he said.

An independent investigation is also being carried out by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB). Initial findings, published this week, reveal the braking system of the engineering train was deactivated to allow it to be towed. 

Mr Hedley said: “It’s important to realise that staff have been put under immense pressure from managers to avoid service delays.  The individuals who did this should not be victimised – people who cause delays really are put through the wringer by management.”

He added: “Everybody is fearful for their job because there are going to be massive staff cuts. There are going to be more and more examples of people bending the health and safety rules to get the work done because they are worried for their jobs.”

RMT announced the day before the runaway train incident that union members had voted in support of strike action in response to proposals to cut 800 jobs and to make a £60million reduction in the maintenance budget. 

Budget reductions have led to major concerns among staff as “safety critical” inspections of train brakes are to be carried out monthly instead of fortnightly, Mr Hedley said.

“We’re getting to a situation where we are going to have ill-maintained trains running through unsafe signals and no station staff. It’s a recipe for disaster. Unless somebody steps in and stops this I think we are going to have fatalities sooner rather than later,” he added.

Following Friday’s incident, the Charing Cross branch was suspended into the afternoon.

Transport commentator Christian Wolmar said: “This shocking incident has been underplayed. Here you have a train running at possibly 35mph chasing after a passenger service which was told to jump through all the stations because of the tube hurtling behind it. This could have been a major disaster.”

Brian Coleman, Camden’s London Assembly member, added: “This was a disgrace beyond disgrace. A similar incident happened about six or seven years ago and we were told it would never happen again and yet it has. It proves the urgent need for investment in the Underground.”

LU has suspended the use of all engineering trains of the type involved until further investigations are completed.

LU director Richard Parry said: “We have launched an immediate and thorough investigation into this incident to establish the cause. Once that investigation is complete, we will publish the report, making its conclusions and recommendations clear.”

On a roll – Driverless train breaks loose

What happened?
An engineering train became defective and was being towed northwards by an out-of-service passenger train when it became detached and travelled four miles south without a driver.

When?
The train became defective at 5.25am on Friday and was towed northwards before breaking loose at around 6.45am. 

What was the train doing?
The train was carrying out engineering work on the High Barnet section of the line.

How far did it travel?
The train travelled four miles, passing through six stops during a 13-minute journey. It came to a halt at about 7am outside Warren Street station.

What action was taken?
London Underground controllers diverted all passenger trains from the path of the runaway train.

Was anyone hurt?
No. The RMT union says the train narrowly avoided a passenger train at Archway station but no one was hurt.

What action has been taken to prevent a similar incident?
A full investigation has been launched by London Underground in partnership with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch. LU has suspended the use of all engineering trains of the type involved until the investigation is complete.